Tarantulas halt cane toad spread

THEY may be creepy and crawly, but tarantulas could become man's best friend in the war against one of Australia's worst pests.

Townsville BulletinJanuary 13, 20127:04am

THEY may be creepy and crawly, but tarantulas could become man's best friend in the war against one of Australia's worst pests.

Large native spiders, including the Australian tarantula, the wolf spider and the racing stripe spider, have all been found to prey upon cane toads, the Townsville Bulletin reported.

Experts believe the stealthy arachnids are so successful at hunting the toxic toads, they could be credited with keeping the amphibians' numbers down across North Queensland.

They have suggested residents who want to keep toad numbers at bay in their backyard, should attract spiders into their garden.

Queensland Museum spider expert Dr Robert Raven said he had witnessed a tarantula devouring a toad in the wild near Cooktown several years ago.

"The toad had jumped near the entrance to the spider's burrow at night, and the spider just launched out and grabbed it and took it down into the burrow, like a scene out of a movie," he said.

Since their introduction to North Queensland in 1935, cane toads have been steadily marching west and south to conquer the rest of Australia.

It is now estimated there are 10 toads for every person in Australia.

Dr Raven, who has lived in Cairns, believed spiders, alongside other native predators such as birds and snakes, have played a major role in keeping toad numbers from increasing over the past half-century.

He said residents could help attract native spiders to their yards, to help control the spread of cane toads, by keeping a moist pocket in a side part of the garden.